The short version
Choose by where your servers live. AZ-104 suits you if your work is mostly in Azure. AZ-802 suits you if your work is Windows Server, on premises or hybrid, with Azure as a helper. They are two separate associate-level credentials with no stated prerequisite between them, so you can take either first. If your job mixes both, many people start with whichever matches their daily tasks and add the other later. This page uses Microsoft pages checked on October 22, 2026.
Who should take which
- Take AZ-104 if you administer Azure resources: identities, storage, virtual machines, containers, virtual networks, and monitoring.
- Take AZ-802 if you administer Windows Server as a workload on premises, in the cloud, or in a hybrid setup. Microsoft names tools such as Windows Admin Center, Hyper-V, PowerShell, Azure Arc, Azure Monitor, Azure Update Manager, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and says you should be familiar with Active Directory Domain Services.
- Take both if you run a hybrid estate and want proof in both halves.
Side by side
| AZ-104 | AZ-802 | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Microsoft Azure Administrator | Administering Windows Server |
| Credential | Azure Administrator Associate | Windows Server Administrator Associate |
| Level | Intermediate | Intermediate (credential page) |
| Focus | Azure services | Windows Server, on premises and hybrid |
| Domains | 5: identities and governance (20-25%); storage (15-20%); compute (20-25%); virtual networking (15-20%); monitoring (10-15%) | 7: AD DS (20-25%); hybrid server management (10-15%); virtual machines (10-15%); networking (10-15%); storage and file services (15-20%); securing Windows Server (10-15%); monitoring and troubleshooting (15-20%) |
| Time | 100 minutes (AZ-104 page) | 120 minutes on the credential page; the AZ-802 exam page gives no duration |
| Questions | Not published | Not published |
| Passing score | 700 of 1,000 | 700 of 1,000 |
| Languages | 10 | English only |
| Delivery | Proctored, scheduled through Pearson VUE | Proctored, scheduled through Pearson VUE |
| Prerequisites | None stated | None stated |
| Renewal | Every 12 months, free assessment | Every 12 months, free assessment |
What overlaps and what differs
Both exams cover identity, virtual machines, networking, storage, and monitoring, so the words will feel familiar. The setting differs.
AZ-104 lives in the Azure control plane. You work with Microsoft Entra ID, role assignments, storage accounts, scale sets, App Service, and Azure Monitor. Most answers are settings in a portal, templates, or CLI.
AZ-802 lives on the server. Its largest domain, 20-25%, is Active Directory Domain Services, which AZ-104 barely touches. It also covers Hyper-V, file services and storage on the server, hardening, and troubleshooting. Azure appears as the hybrid layer: Azure Arc to manage servers, Azure Monitor and Update Manager to watch and patch them, Defender for Cloud to protect them.
So the skills transfer in places, such as virtual networking ideas, monitoring concepts, and storage redundancy thinking, but a strong AZ-104 score does not prepare you for Group Policy, domain controllers, or Storage Spaces.
A note on the older Windows Server exams
Microsoft’s pages show a retirement notice dated September 30, 2026 for the older AZ-800 and AZ-801 exams, and AZ-802 is the exam listed for the Windows Server Administrator Associate credential now. The credential page was still partly out of date when checked: it lists a longer set of ten domains and a “Last Updated” date of January 21, 2026, while the AZ-802 exam page lists seven. If the two pages disagree when you book, trust the exam page and study guide, and check the duration at booking.
How to choose
- Where do your servers live? Mostly Azure: AZ-104. Mostly Windows Server with some Azure: AZ-802.
- What do job postings or your manager ask for? Let that decide the order.
- What is your language need? AZ-802 is offered in English only, as listed. AZ-104 lists ten languages.
- What comes next? AZ-104 leads to Microsoft’s solutions architect and DevOps credentials, which accept it as a prerequisite. AZ-802 leads to its own credential, Windows Server Administrator Associate.
FAQ
Do I need AZ-104 before AZ-802?
Microsoft states no prerequisite for AZ-802 on the pages read.
Which one is easier?
It depends on your background. A long-time Windows Server administrator will find AZ-802 familiar and AZ-104 new. A cloud-first administrator will find the reverse.
Can I take both in the same month?
Nothing in the pages read forbids it. Study for them separately, because the overlap is smaller than the names suggest.
Do both expire?
Microsoft lists associate credentials as renewable every 12 months through a free online assessment. See our AZ-104 renewal page.
More guides for AZ-104
- AZ-104 Exam Format, Scoring and Retakes
- AZ-104 Study Plan: 4 and 8 Weeks
- AZ-104 Domains Explained With Weightings
- Is AZ-104 Hard? An Honest Difficulty Check
- AZ-104 Prerequisites and Self-Check
- Is AZ-104 Worth It? An Honest Look
- AZ-104 Cheat Sheet: Key Facts to Review
- AZ-104 vs AZ-305: Which First?
- AZ-104 vs AZ-400: Which First?
Next step
Read the AZ-104 overview and the AZ-802 overview, then try a few AZ-104 sample questions. For timed practice, use the AZ-104 practice tests and the AZ-802 practice tests.